Sooner or later everyone needs at least one of these three things. Maybe you want a monthly backup of your data, maybe you're selling the business to your partner, or maybe you don't need the account at all anymore. All three actions live on the same Settings page but have very different consequences: exporting is safe and you can run it as often as you want, transferring changes who is in charge but keeps everything intact, deleting wipes everything forever.
This guide walks through each one from scratch, with what you see in the product, what happens behind the scenes, and when it makes sense to pick one path over another. Read it through before pressing any button in the Danger Zone.
First things first: who can do what
All three operations are gated by permissions. The quick recap:
| Action | Owner | Manager | Employee / Basic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Export data (CSV + PDF) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Transfer ownership | Yes | No | No |
| Delete business | Yes | No | No |
| Cancel plan (Stripe) | Yes | No | No |
1. Export your data
Exporting is the most harmless of the three: it changes nothing in your account, it just reads and returns. You can run it as many times as you want with zero side effects.
The first five are CSV (comma-separated, UTF-8). They open directly in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. The sixth is PDF, made for reading not for re-importing. Each button fires an immediate download, no intermediate steps.
Typical reasons to export:
- Monthly backup: download the CSVs and stash them in a cloud folder outside BookHero.
- Migration: you're moving to another system that accepts CSV import.
- Accounting: your accountant wants the transactions in flat-file form.
- Internal audit: you want to reconcile bookings against transactions for cash control.
- External analysis: you want to build charts in Excel that BookHero doesn't render yet.
2. Transfer business ownership
Transferring means changing who the owner of the business is inside BookHero, without losing a single booking or client. Think of it like handing over the keys: the shop is the same, only the title of owner moves.
Open Settings and scroll to the Danger Zone
It's the last section on the page, marked with a warning icon. You'll see the 'Transfer ownership' card there. The 'Transfer' button is disabled if no one on the team is eligible.
Pick the new owner
Open the modal, scroll the list of team members, select the radio next to your target. Pending members (no account yet) appear greyed out and can't be chosen.
Confirm by typing the business name
Before the 'Transfer' button enables, you have to type your business name exactly into the confirmation field. It's the safeguard against an accidental transfer.
Submit and move on
Hit 'Transfer'. In seconds the operation is done: you're redirected to the dashboard, now in the Manager role. If you change your mind later, the new owner has to perform the reverse transfer.
When transferring makes sense:
- Selling the business: the buyer takes over everything (billing included).
- Change of partners: you hand the owner role to the partner who'll run the admin side.
- Temporary exit: you'll be out of the business for months and want someone else to control the subscription and the Danger Zone.
- Role cleanup: you registered the wrong owner from day one and want to fix it.
3. Delete the business
This is the destructive operation: it wipes the entire business and everything that lives in it. There's no trash, no undo, no supported recovery. Before you press anything, run a full export: at least clients, bookings, and transactions as CSV, stored outside BookHero.
Export everything first
Go to the Export section and download Clients, Bookings, Transactions, Services, and Employees. Stash the files outside BookHero. This is your only chance.
Open the 'Delete business' card
It's in the Danger Zone, below the Transfer card. The button has red text and a trash icon.
Confirm by typing the business name
Type your business name in the confirmation field, exactly as it's registered (case doesn't matter, spaces do). The 'Delete' button only activates when the text matches.
Submit and leave
Hit 'Delete'. The system cancels your Stripe subscription (if any), wipes all data in cascade, clears your active-business cookie, and redirects you. If this was your only business, you'll land on the onboarding flow as a fresh user.
Which of these is yours?
The three actions solve different problems. Use this table to decide before pressing any button:
| Export | Transfer | Delete | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deletes data? | No | No | Yes, everything |
| Reversible? | Nothing to reverse | Yes (with a new transfer) | No, irreversible |
| Do you keep access? | Yes, normal | Yes, as manager | No |
| Public page survives? | Yes | Yes | No, stops existing |
| Does the subscription change? | No | No, stays on the business | Cancelled |
| Good for | Backup, migration, audit | Selling, partner change, role cleanup | Closing the business for good |
Frequently asked questions
What format do the exports come in?
Five datasets in CSV (clients, bookings, transactions, services, employees) and one PDF business summary. The CSVs are UTF-8 comma-separated and open directly in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. The PDF is meant for human reading.
Can I re-import the CSVs later? What if I delete and regret it?
The CSVs are for backups and migration to external systems, not for automatic re-import into BookHero. If you delete the business and change your mind, there's no way to restore from the CSV. That's why you should think twice before pressing delete.
If I transfer ownership, do I lose access to my data?
No. You become a Manager and keep almost every permission: you still see clients, bookings, reports, and can edit most things. The only things you lose are the owner-exclusive ones: billing, transferring again, and deleting the business. If you want the role back, the new owner has to run the transfer in reverse.
I want to stop paying but keep the data. Should I delete?
No. To stop paying, go to the 'Plan' card in Settings and cancel the subscription through the Stripe Customer Portal. The business drops to the Free plan, you keep all your data, and you can upgrade again whenever you want. Deletion is only for when you really want to wipe everything.
Can I have more than one business on the same account? Does deleting one affect the other?
Yes, BookHero supports multiple businesses per user. Each business is independent: deleting one doesn't touch the others. If you delete your only business and you aren't on any other team, you'll land on the onboarding flow as a fresh user.